8:20 AM Flight from Fort Lauderdale

[lauraapp]

Is it possible to get off of the Allure and make this flight?

[crusinmama06]

You have to check in 45 minutes before the flight. So make that 7:30 a.m. (you have to get through security)

 

So, I would say no.

 

The 10am flights are tough to make, I would say the 8:20 is nearly impossible.

[molly361]

You have to check in 45 minutes before the flight. So make that 7:30 a.m. (you have to get through security)

 

So, I would say no.

 

The 10am flights are tough to make, I would say the 8:20 is nearly impossible.

 

 

Ditto!!! I agree.

[cruisinfanatic]

leaving from FLL on the Allure, probably yes. The new terminal is the best in the business

You can do a self walk off at about 6:15 and easily be at the airport by 7.

I would never try it though

[cruzkitty]

No way in HellO would I stress myself like that! But please let us know if you do get that flight!! They advise you to book flights after noon....mine is 11:30 :eek:

[silentbob007]

It depends on what happens that day, which airline you are using, if you plan to check bags, etc ... extremely risky though, even with Oasis/Allure as there are many other factors out of RCI's control. There's a reason those flights tend to be open and the cheapest of the day.

[djandnic]

We were just on a Celbrity cruise out of FLL, and we did the self walk off at 07:40, and were standing at our gate (through security and bag check-in at 09:00, and the security line was the longest I ever saw at FLL).

 

I know Allure and Oasis are the first ships into the prot because of the number of people. Last October when we were on the Oasis, we walked off at 06:30.

 

So under 'normal' situation it would be a breeze. But if anything goes wrong you're in trouble. Determining what your plan B is will help decide if it's worth the risk. If there is a later flight and there are plenty of seats available, then it may be a much less risky situation. Good luck!

[crazy4themouse]

I can't even imagine attempting something like that, because all the planets have to be aligned so perfectly to make it. You never know what will happen. I know one DCL cruise, there was some terror alert that happened that morning of disembarkation and every piece of luggage had to be searched before it could go on the trucks to the airline, and everyone had to stand in an incredibly long line to "sign off" on their luggage first as well. We disembarked at around 8-8:30am, and were still in line at noon.

 

Luckily our flight wasn't until later in the afternoon, because I'd rather be bored than stressed out, and never schedule early flights. But lots and lots of people missed their flights and were very unhappy. The terror threat turned out to be nothing, luckily, but those kinds of things can happen any day and foul up a lot of travel plans!

 

 

[will773]

I wouldn't want to risk it. Just one minor slip and you've missed your flight.

[SolsticeAZ]

I certainly wouldn't try it. We sailed on the Oasis in March and while RCI made getting off the ship as smooth as possible, customs was slow and the lines at Fort Lauderdale Airport were unbelievably long. We were at the airport two hours before our flight and barely made it.

[cruisinfanatic]

I certainly wouldn't try it. We sailed on the Oasis in March and while RCI made getting off the ship as smooth as possible, customs was slow and the lines at Fort Lauderdale Airport were unbelievably long. We were at the airport two hours before our flight and barely made it.

there are no crowds when you're off at 6:15. Whole different story

[alicam]

You are on holidays albeit at the end and you want to stress yourself on the last day worrying if you can make an early flight....forget it and take a later one

[traveling1969]

I'm a gambler but that's really stretching it. One glitch is all it takes.

[Shippy]

...& I still would not chance it. Even though you get off early, there are many other factors that can delay you.

Once there was a slight delay for a problem with the escalators when you first get off the ship. Eventhough it was not for long, the back up became immense.

Of course customs could be a problem & then there are the airport lines.

We have always been able to get a cab right away but there are a lot of others waiting in line at the airport.

It is amazing how many people now do the 'carry your own luggage off' routine.

 

We have a 10:30 am for our next flight & feel fine with that but would not chance earlier.

[negc]

there are no crowds when you're off at 6:15. Whole different story

 

Are you be willing to absorb the financial cost if something happens that makes them miss the flight? While it might be possible, I wouldn't tell anyone that they will easily make a flight that early and guarantee that they won't encounter any crowds. That may have been your experience and might be true most of the time, but if Murphy's Law applies, they had best have a good back up plan. :rolleyes:

[crusinmama06]

And just for times like these...I like to keep this thread handy. This was Navigator but it was an experienced cruiser/poster who was trying to make a 10:05 flight out of FLL and his not so "easy" time of it. ;)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=938978

[Groucho]

My wife and I did this two times from the Oasis. We walked off the ship at 6:30 AM, through immigration/customs, through airport security and sitting next to our gate by 7:00 AM for an 8:00 AM flight. Everything was nice and calm with no crowds.

[cruisinfanatic]

I'm a gambler but that's really stretching it. One glitch is all it takes.

Sure things can happen that might cause a delay. Doesn't have to be a cruise.

I don't go to work 2 hours early just because things could happen (a glitch) and I miss an important meeting.

[negc]

Sure things can happen that might cause a delay. Doesn't have to be a cruise.

I don't go to work 2 hours early just because things could happen (a glitch) and I miss an important meeting.

 

Then again, the consequences of missing the flight might be more serious than your missing an important meeting. And if your meeting were important enough that it required you to leave for work earlier than usual, I suspect that is what you might do. Making an 8:20 flight even under normal circumstances is an iffy proposition and might not take much of a glitch to mess things up. But it is easy to recommend risks to someone when you don't need to face any consequences.:rolleyes:

[reallyitsmema]

I like the new feature at the bottom of the thread! And not really a hijack since it is about similar threads.;):D

[sherilyn70]

Wow... and I thought the 11:30am flight I booked was pushing it for the Oasis in February. :) I would never want to risk that little amount of time between docking and getting through the airports lines.

[Tucker in Texas]

I have taken many cruises out of MIA and FLL. I try to book no earlier than noon and like 1:00 p.m. better. I have consistently been to the airport by 10:00 a.m. at the latest, sometimes as early as 9:00 when I self disembark.

 

The one time I booked an 11:35 flight was the time they held us up on the ship for some reason and did not let us off until 10:45. I missed the flight. I sat in the airport all day waiting to fly on standby and got the last plane out at 8:30 to Atlanta which would let me connect on the last plane to Houston that evening only because of pure luck and some serious pleading. There were many, many others still standing around who had missed their flights and would, most likely, be there all night.

 

No way would I chance a flight that early. I'd rather cool my heels for a few hours in the airport and make sure I get home that day. With the planes flying so full and number of flights cut back, you could be there a week waiting for another flight plus pay a bunch in charges to change your flight.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Sugar*Magnolia]

We wouldnt chance it, but thats us.

 

Oasis cruise this June we had to decide between an early flight around 10am or one late afternoonI think it is 4:30. We opted for late afternoon and will probably get a day pass at a local hotel to just hang at the pool for a few hours. Then go to the airport and hour or so (whatever it is) before our flight. We're spoiled, usually leaving from the northeast :cool:. No flying :).

[waterbug123]

Is it possible to get off of the Allure and make this flight?

 

Possible, yes. Probable, no.

 

If the flight is at 8:20 and is on time, the boarding door will close around 8:10. You have to get off the ship, through customs, to the airport and through security. And if you are checking a bag and/or cannot print a boarding pass on the ship, you'll have to check in as well. That's a lot, even if the ship docks and clears customs on time.

I wouldn't even think about a flight that early unless you can do self-disembarkation and fly with just a carry on. It would also help if you have priority status with your airline, that will allow you to use priority lines for check-in/baggage check and/or security.

I'm often a bit of a risk taker when it comes to booking post-cruise flights (i.e. I wouldn't hesitate to book a 10am flight out of FLL) but 8:20?? That scares me!

[Tapi]

Can you book a later flight and standby for an earlier flight? Several airlines allow you to do "same day standby" either for free, or for a small fee. Check with your individual airline. We did it the last time we sailed from Ft. Lauderdale and made it to the airport in time to standby for a 9:00am flight.

 

HOWEVER, as far as booking an 8:20am flight, I would never, EVER do it. While we've been off the ship as early as 7:00 am, that was an exception. Majority of the time, we are off the ship much later. For our last cruise, we had priority VIP debarkation and had the first group, and STILL, we didn't clear customs until almost 10:00am.

 

Most of the time, it seems like we are off the ship between 8:30am and 10:00am